


Ghosts of the Past

by sparkyCSI (Lexi_the_dragon_muse)



Series: Haunted by the past [1]
Category: Numb3rs (TV)
Genre: Action & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-24 13:05:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16640681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexi_the_dragon_muse/pseuds/sparkyCSI
Summary: When Don receives a call from a friend and former agent Corrinne Reid who had narrowly dodged a drive-by, he finds her a  shell of the woman he'd known and discovers she is haunted by painful ghosts in her past.  Can he help her and find the man who gunned down a woman on the streets of LA?





	Ghosts of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is based in part of off part of What the Eyes Can’t See by Axellia and my own original character that I wrote in the CSI: NY fandom(see my FBI Files series). In one of the later chapters of the story (241 to be exact), the story crosses with Numb3rs and you find out that Cory and Don once worked together. I was further inspired when watching a rerun and saw Season 3 episode 3: Provenance in which you find out Don speaks French. When David asks him about it, in true Don fashion, he simply replies, “There was a girl once upon a time.) And my muse combined these two and WOULD NOT LEAVE ME ALONE. Go read Axellia’s story!!! It is long but worth it. It’s quite funny and crosses over with like everything, including Supernatural.

Corrine Reid was walking out of another 5th Avenue boutique when her phone rang.  She juggled the bags before pulling her phone out of her pocket and answering.  “Hello?”

_“Agent Reid?”_

Cory took the phone from her ear before furrowing her eyebrows.  “Um, this is Corrine Reid.  Who is this?”

_“This is U.S. Marshal Alex Whitehall.  I am calling about Rosa Delgado.”_

“In that case, I will probably not be able to help you, Deputy Whitehall.  I am no longer with the FBI.  But, if this is about Rosa, then I am more than willing to listen.”

The man sighed over the phone.  _“If you are no longer with the FBI, then this may actually work in our favor.  Rosa decided to leave the witness security program a year ago, after starting over in LA, however we just received notice that her former boyfriend, Ignacio Perez has violated his parole agreement.  He is off the grid.”_

Cory felt her heart jump in her chest.  Rosa’s case was one of the first that she had handled after becoming a field agent.  She was the one that convinced the pregnant woman to turn on her boyfriend, to give the FBI the financial information that was needed to convict him of smuggling drugs across the border from Mexico.  “How can I help?” she asked.

_“We have been trying to warn Rosa of the danger, however she is refusing to listen to our marshals and move her and her son out of LA.  I know that you had some connection to her, so I am hoping that you will be able to convince her that the danger is real.”_

“How did he even get released?”

_“He provided the FBI with some information in exchange for a reduced sentence.  He was released three months ago.”_

Cory growled slightly under her breath.  “And whose bright idea was that?”

_“It was authorized by Assistant Director in Charge, William Manning.  From the New York field office.”_

“Of course it was,” Cory muttered under her breath with a sigh.  “I’ll go.  Can you give me her details so I can track her down in LA?”

_“Of course.  I will send the information to your phone.  Thank you, Agent…I mean Ms. Reid.”_

“Call me Cory.  It’ll be easier.”

_“Then call me Alex.  Thank you Cory.  I was never pleased with the decision to release Ignacio Perez for information, no matter how useful the people in charge.”_

“I fully understand that, Alex.  I will do my best to get Rosa to safety,” she said before she disconnected the call, unsure of the emotions that where flowing through her.  She was only sure of one thing.  She needed to arrange a trip LA.

#

When Cory got to LA, just after four a.m. local time, she picked up her luggage and her rental car.  She wiped at her eyes, hating the gritty texture of them left over from the red-eye flight she had taken.  She had left New York just after one a.m. and hadn’t slept much on the flight.  _At least it’s early enough that traffic will hopefully not be_ too _bad,_ she thought.  She had been spoiled by the subway system in New York and she was not looking forward to driving in one of the most congested cities in country.  As she climbed into the late model sedan, chosen for its anonymity, she fought back a yawn and knew before she could find Rosa, she needed to get some sleep.  With a sigh, she began the thirty minute drive to the house that her family kept north of the airport.  She would crash there for a couple of hours before tracking Rosa down.

When Cory awoke, ten hours later, she actually felt refreshed for the first time since she quit her job.  She knew that it was because she felt like she had a purpose again.  She had been spending her days doing the one thing that she never wanted to do.  Acting like a socialite.  She hated that world and was just lucky that her parents had supported her choices to have a real job.  Shaking her head, she drew her thoughts back to the present and quickly got ready.

After stopping for a bite to eat, Cory made her way to the last known address that Alex had given her.  After talking to her neighbors, she determined that Rosa had a job at a bar close to the Walk of Fame.  She walked into the bar, not knowing exactly what to expect and was pleasantly surprised to find out that the establishment obviously catered to a more selective crowd.  She peered through the bar, finding Rosa easily behind the bar wearing a happy smile as she poured drinks expertly.

Cory just watched her for a moment, noticing all the changes that seven years had brought to the woman.  Her black hair, which had once had barely skimmed her chin, trailed halfway down her back in a ponytail.  _Almost like my hair_ , Cory thought as she thought about her own hair.  The only difference was the color.  Her hair was red compared to Rosa’s black.  Rosa was also wearing what Cory assumed was a white dress, but since she behind the bar, it could have been a white top. 

The most obvious change that she could see was the lack of fear and stress in Rosa’s eyes.  She looked like the woman that she was meant to be, carefree and happy.  Cory sighed.  She didn’t want to be the one that was responsible for putting the fear back in her eyes, but she knew that she had to keep them safe.  She had to keep someone safe.  She had something to prove to herself after the debacle of New York, with that just coming on the heels of her heartbreak in Dallas.  She knew that she had to make at least something right to ease the guilt of the blood she knew was on her hands.  With one final deep breath, she made her way over to the unoccupied end of the bar and settled in, waiting for Rosa to turn and see her.

It only took a moment, Rosa placing a pilsner glass of beer in front of a man before turning to her, a smile already on her face.  A smile that faltered once before she walked over to her.  “Agent Reid?  To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Cory smile softly.  “Not an agent any longer, Rosa.  Just Cory.”

Rosa looked at her and Cory felt as if Rosa could see into her soul.  “Ah,” the Latina woman finally said.  “I knew there was a reason I choose this dress today.  It is fitting that I wore it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t have a lot of time, so I will tell you everything that I can.  I am a _bruja_.  The blood runs strong in my family and with it the responsibilities.  _Mamá_ always told me that it was my responsibility to help everyone that I could and I knew when I met you, you were one that I had to protect.”

Cory looked at her in confusion.  She knew that _bruja_ meant witch in Spanish, but she had no idea what she was going on about.  “Rosa, what the hell?”

Rosa just smiled.  “You are confused.  You feel a presence around you and you don’t know what to do about it.  Don’t worry, the man you love is with you and he only wants to make sure that you are alright.  You see,” she continued as her voice dropped, “I’ve known since the day that I met you how my life would end.  And it will end, today.  Today is the day that I’m fulfilling my destiny.  Don’t worry, Agent…Cory.  I am at piece with how my life ends.  Please just make sure that Hector knows how much I love him.” 

Cory looked at the woman in shock.  _The man I love…that can only be James.  Is she telling me that James is still here….Wait!  She said she is going to die today.  Oh, hell no.  Not on my watch._   “Rosa.  You are not going to die today.  Please, let me protect you.  I can have the US Marshals on the phone in an instant.  We can get you to safety.  Somewhere Ignacio won’t ever find you.  Please…” she begged the woman.

“You know as well as I do that Ignacio is _muy loco._   I betrayed him and sent him to jail.  There is nowhere that I will be able to hide from him.  This is my choice, Cory,” she said, her voice hardening in determination.  “I will be back with _Mamá_ and _Papi._ ”

Cory shook her head, no understanding why Rosa was saying what she did.  “Rosa?  No.  I will not let you die.  You will not be someone else that I am not able to protect,” Cory growled out as she stood.  “I will go and find Ignacio and make sure he never hurts anyone again.”

Rosa watched as Cory began to walk towards the exits and said a small prayer before calling the other bartender over.  “Isaac, I must leave.  I have a family emergency.  Can you cover the rest of my shift?”

The man nodded.  “Of course.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Rosa smiled sadly.  “Tomorrow.”

Cory stormed out of the bar, her Irish temper getting the best of her for a moment.  She didn’t know what to do or think as she paused outside the door, helplessness clawing at her chest. 

“Cory!”

She turned around to see Rosa standing beside her.  “Rosa.  I am not going to let you commit suicide!” she finally yelled.  “I protected you all those years ago and I will not fail.”

“This is not for you to decide, it is for me to decide,” Rosa returned just as firmly.  “I choose to lay down my life so those I know will have a better life.  And that includes you. _Dios mío_ , Cory.  Do you not know how lucky you are to have a man that loves you so much that he stuck around after his death to protect you?  I can feel him even now and he is terrified for you.  For the self-destructive path that you are on.  This is not just about you and me.  I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that Hector will go on to do great things, but only after I am dead.  Do you know what it means to have the gift of seeing the future?” she said angrily as she saw a group of people walking towards them.  She paused as she took a steadying breath, knowing that she had to get through to the red-head.

After the group passed, she looked into Cory’s eyes.  “This gift means that I have known for seven years how I am going to die.  I have made my piece with it.  I have prepared Hector for this.  I have seen the life that he is meant to have and he can’t have that with me in it.  He may only be seven, but _dios mío,_ he is smart.”

“I can’t ask you to die for me, Rosa,” Cory returned just as firmly, fear rising in her.  “I can’t let another person die for me.”

“Good thing that I am not dying just for you then,” Rosa shot back as she looked to see a familiar car turn down the street.  As she caught sight of the barrel of the gun, she acted instinctively, pushing Cory down on the ground and throwing herself in front of her just as the shots rang out.  White-hot heat engulfed her with the bullets and she looked down to see scarlet red blooming against the white of her dress as tires peeled off.

Cory heard the tires of the vehicle leaving and reached for the gun that she no longer had.  She turned to see where Rosa was and was horrified to see that woman had collapsed and was bleeding heavily.  “No!” she screamed.  “You can’t die on me, Rosa.  I can’t take this.”

Rosa coughed softly.  “It hurts more than I thought it would,” she said softly, feeling the blood trickling out of the corner of her mouth.  “I am not sorry.”

“Damn it!  You will not die on me,” Cory cried, not even feeling the tears that were trailing down her face as she fought to put pressure on the wounds, shrugging off her outer shirt to leave herself in just her cami.  She pressed the fabric to Rosa’s stomach, trying to stem the flow of blood, even as her logical side said that there was nothing that she could do.  Rosa’s complexion was growing even more ashen by the second.  “Please,” she finally said softly.

“Remember to tell Hector that I love him,” Rosa said before the life left her eyes.

With her hands shaking, she decided to call the one person in the city that she knew could help.  It took her two tries select the correct number, but soon the phone was ringing.

_“Eppes.”_

“Don?” Cory managed to say in between sobs.  “I need your help.  There’s been a shooting.”

#

SSA Don Eppes was just finishing the paperwork from his last case, early for once, and anticipating having a beer after closing the case on a sex trafficking ring.  It had become a tradition…and a competition on who could beat the other at pool.  He was still ahead in the stats, but Charlie was going to be at the bar tonight, so more than likely, he would not be winning.  He was thinking about the upcoming game when his phone rang.  Eyes on the paperwork, he picked up the phone.  “Eppes.”

_“Don?  I need your help.  There’s been a shooting.”_

“Cory?” he said in disbelief.

_“Yeah.”_

“Where are you?” he said as he flagged down David and Betancourt.

_“Walk of Fame, not far from the Chinese theater.”_

“You hurt?”

_“No.”_

Don furrowed his brow.  He had known Cory for years and had never heard her sound like this.  “I’ll be there in ten,” he said before hanging up.

“What’s going on, Don?” Colby asked.

“FBI agent involved in a shooting.  Come on, let’s go,” he said shortly as he grabbed his jacket.

True to his word, he pulled up to the police tape in ten minutes.  He, David and Nikki climbed out of the SUV and quickly flashed their badges before ducking under the tape.  He looked around quickly, looking for the familiar red hair.  He finally saw her, pacing in front of the coroner’s van.  “Cory!” he called out before jogging over to her, taking in her tear stained face. 

“Don,” she replied as she threw herself into his arms in relief.  “Thank you for coming.  I didn’t know who else to call.”

“What’s going on Cory?  I didn’t know you were in LA.”

Cory smiled tremulously.  “Just got in today.  Hell of a way to come to the city, huh?”

“Why are you here?  Last I heard you were working in the New York office.”

Cory sighed as she drew out of the hug.  “I am no longer with the Bureau, for reasons that are not applicable right now.  Anyway, yesterday I got a call from a US Marshal.  He informed me that a gang banger that I had put away seven years ago, was not only out of prison, but he was off the grid.”  She took a deep breath as she stared up in the sky.  “I came out here to try to convince his ex-girlfriend to go back into WITSEC.  Obviously, I was unsuccessful since she is now dead.”

“Do you want local PD to handle this?”

Cory chuckled as she rolled her eyes.  “Since the FBI is the reason that Ignacio is out of jail, honestly I don’t know who would be better.  But, if you’re running the investigation, I think that it would be better.  At least I know that you’re on the straight and narrow,” she half mumbled under her breath.

Don quirked an eyebrow at her tone.  He had never heard her sound so defeated.  “We’ll do it.  Local PD will probably be happy for me to take something that looks gang related off their hands.”  He raised his hand to signal David and Nikki to come over.  “Cory, I’d like you to meet Agents David Sinclair and Nikki Betancourt.  Guys, this is former FBI agent Corrine Reid, better known as Cory.  She has some information for us.  I’ll go talk to the LEOs and let them know that we will be taking over the case.  You good here?”

“Yeah.  I think I still have some clothes in my car.  Let me use your locker room shower?”

“ _Mi casa es tu casa_.”

“Thanks, Don,” she said with a soft smile as he walked away.

#

By the time Don had arrived, Cory had wrestled her emotions back under control, so at least she wasn’t slobbering over him.  She was grateful when he offered to take the case, knowing full and well that he didn’t have to, so after he went to talk to the locals, she quickly filled in the other agents on what she knew and they went to take the statements.  She settled onto the curb, looking down at her blood stained hands, a feeling of inadequacy settling over her.  She wasn’t sure how long had passed when she felt a touch to her shoulder.  She looked up to find Don staring at her with concern in his eyes.  “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.  You ready to go?”

“Beyond ready,” she responded, accepting his hand so he could pull her to her feet.  “I’ll follow you, ‘kay?”

“How about I drive your car and let David drive the SUV back?” he said.  “I am assuming that you have a rental and not your own car.”

“It’s a rental, so yes, you can drive,” she said as she dug the keys out of her pocket. 

“Why do you have clothes in your car if it’s a rental?” he asked as she led him to the car.

“Force of habit?  I’ve been leaving a change of clothes in my car since I first learned how to drive.  It’s not a habit that I’m going to break at any time soon.”

“I get it,” he said as they climbed into the car.  “Ya know.  I’ve gotta say that I really didn’t expect you to be driving this car.”

Cory smiled.  “Why?  Just because I favor BMW?  That would stick out like a sore thumb in Rosa’s neighborhood.  Figured I’d better be safe than sorry.”

“You always plan ahead.”  He spared her a glance as he stopped at a light.  “So, why are you a former agent?”

Cory sighed as she looked out the window.  “Long story and one that I don’t particularly want to share right now.  I will tell you, but finding Rosa’s killer is more important right now.”

Don shook his head and took her at his word.  They had worked together many times and he knew that she had never withheld vital information.  “Okay.  What else can you tell me about Rosa?”

“She has a son, a six-year old, named Hector.  I want to make sure he makes it to a good home.  Other than that, I haven’t seen her since the trial.  The US Marshal that contacted me is named Alex Whitehall.  Since she was in the program until last year, they might have a better idea of what she was up to.”

“Got it.  I’ll put in a call.”

Cory just nodded as she watched the buildings slip by.  Don seemed to sense that she wasn’t in the mood for idle chatter, so she appreciated the silence as replayed the day’s events in her head.  The one thing that she kept coming back to was the fact that Rosa believed that she had seen her death prior to today.  After New York, working with the team that believed a reporter could see ghosts, she wasn’t sure what she thought of the supernatural anymore.  Add that to the fact that most days she felt a presence around her, she had reacted rationally.  She believed Rosa.  That in itself was telling.  Seven years ago, she would have dismissed the notion completely out of hand, but with everything that had happened in that timeframe…. _There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.  Shakespeare had it right,_ she thought. 

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t realize when Don brought the car to a stop in front of the field office.

“Cory?  We’re here.”

She shook her head.  “Sorry.  Lost in my thoughts.”

“We’ll catch her killer, Cory.  I promise.”

“I know.  That is one thing that I don’t doubt right now.  But, that’s neither here nor there right now.  I just really want a shower to get the blood off of me.”

“Let me get you a consultant’s badge and then show you to the locker room.”

#

Forty-five minutes later, Cory sighed as she finally got the rest of her hair dry.  Thankfully, Agent Betancourt had a hair dryer in her locker that she had leant her.  She didn’t bother with trying to blow dry the massive amount of hair that she had straight, that took an hour plus a straightening iron to achieve since her hair was almost to her waist.  Instead, she just dried it and pulled it back into a high ponytail.  She dressed with a wry twist on her lips.  She hadn’t even realized that the bag that she’d left in the car contained a suit that would make her blend in with the rest of the agents.  _Unconscious habits,_ she thought and wondered how many other things were going to remind her of her past.  She was clean and that was all that mattered.  She grabbed the consultant’s badge that Don had gotten her and walked out of the locker room and to the area in the bull pen where Don’s team was.

Don was on the phone as she walked up and he just waved his hand at the chair by his desk.  She just raised an eyebrow until he shifted a pile of papers over, to give her room to perch on the desk.  She glanced around, seeing Agents Sinclair and Betancourt working at their desks.  Betancourt was on the phone, but Sinclair seemed to be talking to another agent seated across from him.  She studied him, immediately pegging him for ex-military by the haircut.  He glanced up and she smirked as he did a double-take.

  “Yeah.  Just get me the ballistics report ASAP,” he said before hanging up the phone. 

“Don, your agent in undressing me with his eyes,” she said mildly.

“That’s Colby Granger.  He’s relatively harmless and understands the word no.”

“Good.  I’d hate to have to break something,” she said, barely keeping the laughter out of her voice as she watched Colby get up.

“Hi, we haven’t met,” Colby greeted her.

“Corrine Reid,” she said as she held out her hand.

“Colby Granger.  Pleasure to meet you.  Don has never mentioned you before.”

She just looked at him.  “Nice to meet you,” she said before turning back to Don, a slight smirk on her lips.  “So, have you gotten anything?”

“One of the witnesses was a cop on vacation, so we have the plate number and a good description of the car.  We’re combing through traffic footage to try and see if we can locate the car, but there are thousands of traffic cameras in LA, so that is going to take a while.  I’m waiting on ballistics and we are getting warrants to pull any nearby camera footage.”  He looked at her.  “What exactly did you see?”

“That’s just it.  I didn’t see anything.  I had gone to the bar looking for Rosa to try and convince her to at least move, if not join WITSEC again.  She didn’t want to.  I stormed out of the bar to try and calm down and she followed me.  We kept arguing, but my back was to the street.  The next thing I knew, she was pushing me down and blocking my body with hers.  She gave up her life to save mine, Don.  I don’t understand that.”

Don opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by his desk phone.  “Eppes.  Okay.  I’ll be right down,” he said as he hung up the phone.  “Someone is down at reception for me, so I’ll be right back.  Work with Colby, see if you can remember anything else.”

“Okay,” she responded as he walked away.  She rose from the desk and walked over to Colby’s desk.  “So, you gonna help me remember anything else?” she asked.

“More like I need to get more information on Rosa and her ex.”

“You know all my information is seven years out of date, right?”

“It’s a place to start until the Marshals get back to us with the more recent information.”

Cory nodded and began to tell him about the case that introduced her to Rosa.  She had just gotten to the point where she had convinced Rosa to testify when she heard her name being called out.  She turned her head quickly and smiled before walking over to the dark-haired woman walking off the elevator.  “Liz!” she said before hugging the woman.  “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.  Not since…”

“I left New York.  I still think you were the best agent I’ve ever worked with, but Don’s a close second,” Liz returned before ending the hug.  “I was terrified when I heard that you had been shot at.”

“I wasn’t the target.”

“Good,” Liz said before the sound of a cough interrupted her.  “Oh.  I’d like you to meet one of our consultants.  This is Professor Charles Eppes…”

“Don’s brother,” Cory interrupted her as she stuck her hand out.  “It’s nice to finally put a face to a name, Charlie.”

“Who are you?” Charlie asked, a look of confusion on his face.

“God.  Where are my manners?  I know my mama raised me better than this.  I’m Corrine Reid.  I used to work with your brother on occasion when he was stationed in Albuquerque.  We had a couple of cases that crossed over and he was always telling me about you.  You have an impressive resume.”

“Why is it that Don never tells me about the people he works with?” Charlie muttered before moving off towards a room.

Cory just laughed as she watched him leave. 

“Don wants you to go down to the lobby.”

“Okay.  We need to catch up later,” Cory said before pushing the button for the elevator.  She didn’t have to wait long and when she stepped off the elevator, she saw Don talking to Taylor Turner and Don Flack.  _What the hell?  Why are they in LA?_   She walked across the lobby quickly to where Don and Flack were talking.  “Taylor?  Flack?” she asked, not bothering to hide the surprise in her voice.

“Hi, Cory,” Taylor greeted her softly.  “Can you spare a minute?”

She nodded and followed Taylor outside.  “What’s the matter, Taylor?  What are you doing in LA?  And how did you know I was here?”

“James told me,” Taylor told her after they sat down on a bench.

“James?” Cory repeated, still confused.

“Your James.”

“My James?”  Cory felt the blood rush from her face as the memory of the man she loved came to her mind.  “James is dead,” she whispered softly.  “He died because of me.”

"He died protecting you and he would do the same thing again if he had a second chance." Taylor said softly.

"No.  He shouldn't have died that night.  It should have been me!" Cory replied vehemently, seeing James lying in a pool of blood easily in her mind.

 "James doesn't believe that," she told her.  "He knows it was his time, and you staying alive, well, it kept other people alive - people who would have died otherwise."

Cory looked at her in disbelief.  "You wouldn't have been shot because of me.  Rosa would still be alive if I hadn't come here."  She looked pensive a moment.  "You know, I still feel James around me.  I always have.  I know that he's haunting me because I got him killed.

Taylor sighed.  "About that.  James is still here."  She frowned.  "But he's not haunting you because he blames you," she added hurriedly.

"No, he's haunting me to punish me,” Cory replied, trying to hold back her tears.

Taylor glanced away from her a moment before looking back.  "Cory, he's here because he loves you. He loves you so much, he doesn't want to see you hurt, to get hurt," Taylor explained

"I don't believe you," Cory said flatly.

Taylor was silent for a moment before muttering, "Wow.  That's... really sweet."

Cory looked at her in confusion as she was still trying get her emotions under control.  Taking a deep breath, she turned to walk away.

"He told me about the midnight ride he took you on to propose to you," Taylor hurriedly called after her.  "The full moon, the stream, Sampson and Delilah..."

Cory stopped dead in her tracks.  "No one knows about that.  It only happened a few days before he was killed.  Only our families knew about the engagement," she said with a hoarse voice.

"Cory, I don't want to hurt you," Taylor told her.  "I know you don't believe me when I say I don't blame you for anything, but I really don't.  Okay, maybe I blamed you for getting me kicked out of the lab, I admit that.  But not the shooting.  We're worried about you.  Both of us."

"Why?  Why should I matter to either one of you?" Cory questioned as she turned back to look at Taylor.  "It's obvious that Flack doesn't feel the same way, Taylor.  Trust me when I say, it is better off just leaving me alone.  Anyone close to me has a habit of dying.  Just ask James."

Taylor bit her lip.  "What does it matter what Don thinks?"

Cory looked at the woman, the hurt welling up inside of her as everything that she buried burst to the surface with the force of a volcano.  "Do you know why I never visited you in the hospital, Taylor?  I tried.  Really, I did.  I knew that Don was rightfully blaming me for the shooting, but I couldn't bear not to be there.  So, I tried to go at hours that I knew he wouldn't be.  I tried to get you to wake up, but one night, Flack found me there.  He screamed at me about it being my fault.  I left, knowing that he was right.  It was several months before I saw him again.  I knew by looking that you hadn't woken up and I turned, hoping to avoid him.  The next moment I was pinned against a wall, his gun to my head and he told me to stay away from you."

Taylor paled.  "What?"

Cory felt something cold touch her shoulder and it broke the cycle of pain she was feeling.  Looking at the pale-faced woman standing before her, she realized what she had just done.  "Shit, Taylor.  He was just trying to protect you.  I don't blame him, nor do I hold that against him."  She sank on the bench, wearily.  "I'm totally screwed up."

Taylor stood there, staring blindly at the square pond that decorated the front of the building.  "Clearly I need to have this same conversation with Don," she told Cory, sinking on the wall of the pond, opposite her.  "I got shot.  It wasn't your fault.  I was the one who was too good at the research.  I was the one who got involved with Sassone.  I was the one who alerted Bohr.  Cory, the bullet wasn't even supposed to hit me - it was going to hit Don.  Yet I was the one who stepped in front of it.  I am responsible for my own actions."

"But..."

"Just like James is of his,” she cut her off.

Cory shook her head.  "If I had just looked harder at Bohr, I would have seen that something wasn't right.  I had a gut feeling that I ignored."

"And if I never went to that party; if I had never ignored Louie; if I had never spoken to Sassone; if I had never researched the Brooklyn Bullets; if I had never gone to NYU...  it's a lot of if's, Cory," Taylor told her.  “You cannot be holding yourself personally responsible for a series of events."  Taylor frowned.  "It's not our fault," she muttered, gently.

Cory sank down, feeling some of the guilt lift from her shoulders.  "Oh God.  I've been a right bitch haven't I?  You're right.  My head tells me that, but my heart ...my heart still is not convinced.  But, I'll work on it.  I promise."

Taylor looked to the side again.  "Is there anything else?"

The woman was silent for a moment.  “James says that he loves you and will always love you.  You will find someone else to love and talk to Michael.  He’s here, if you want to tell him anything," she added as an afterthought.

Cory looked up, tears swimming in her eyes.  "I love you, too.  Forgive me?"

"He says he has nothing to forgive you for, and don't you forget about that!"

Cory laughed.  "I'm sure if I don't, Michael will make sure that I do.  Good-bye James.  _Tu es mon couer_."  Cory tried to process what was happening, but her emotions were still swirling with the force of a hurricane.  “I think I need some time alone,” she finally muttered.  She didn’t wait for Taylor to respond, instead, walking away. 

She only went a few steps, just enough to give her some space since she wasn’t ready to face anyone yet.  Then she heard Taylor yell, “You have got to be freakin’ kidding me!” and hurried back over to her.

“Taylor, are you alright?”

“No,” Taylor muttered.  “I think I have some information about that woman who got killed today.  Rosa.”

“You can see Rosa?” Cory asked, surprised.

“Unfortunately,” Taylor grumbled.  “And now I need to convince the rest of the FBI that I can.  I swear I’m going to get committed one day,” she sighed, heading back to the field office.

Cory just followed her, the thought of a case putting her emotions on the backburner for the moment.

#

When they got back into the building, Cory watched as Taylor took Flack to the side.  She took her own moment to look at Don.  “Do you trust me?” she asked him.

Don looked confused.  “Of course.”

“Then I need you to bring Flack and Taylor up to the bullpen.  Also, don’t act like she’s crazy when she gives you some information.  I believe her and I was a hard sell.  So, just trust me.  She can help us with this case.”

Don looked at her, seeing the sincerity in her eyes.  He nodded slowly.  “I trust your judgment.  If you say she can help, then I will gladly accept that help.”

“Okay,” Cory said as she took a deep breath and walked over to the pair.  “Taylor.  Don’s going to listen to you.  I can’t guarantee the others will, but he trusts me and I trust you and that you just want to help.  Come upstairs with us and tell us what you can.”

Flack got a belligerent look on his face, but Taylor just touched his arm.  “Don.  This is more than I had when I first started in New York.”  Flack swallowed and after glaring at Cory, he finally nodded.  They quickly made their way up to the bull pen and to a glass-walled room, where Don gathered his team.  He nodded to Cory to make the introductions.

“Hey, y’all,” Cory started, letting her drawl through, sensing that it would make people a little more at ease.  It was a tactic that she used all the time.  “I know that Don has told you about me, but I want to introduce you to someone that will be able to help y’all on the case.  This is Taylor Turner, crime columnist and her fiancé, Don Flack, NYPD Homicide detective.”

“You’re the one who gave use the plates and description of the vehicle,” David said. 

Flack nodded as Taylor stepped forward.  “Hi everyone.  Um, yes, I do write about crime in New York, but only a few people know that I also help the crime lab solve murder cases.”  She sighed.  “You see, I have the…well people have called it a gift, but I think it’s more of a curse, you can decide on your own.  I can see ghosts.  They give me information to help the crime lab catch their killers.”

“You can see what?” Charlie asked, his tone dry and disbelieving.

“Ghosts,” Taylor confirmed.  “And right now, I have the ghost of your drive-by shooting victim, Rosa, standing next to me,” she told him.

“Ghosts?” Charlie repeated.  “Ghosts!  I thought it was bad enough when you humored that psychic,” he looked over at his brother, rolling his eyes.

“That psychic got it right,” Don pointed out.

“Guess work,” Charlie grumbled.  “As I told you with that ‘psychic’, there is no scientific evidence to prove the existence of psychic ability, just like there isn’t any evidence to prove the existence of ghosts.  Don’t tell me you believe in ghosts?”

“Oh, and is there any scientific existence to prove that ghosts don’t exist?” Taylor shot at him.

“Can’t you just tell him something that only he would know?” Cory asked her.  “Like James did with you,” she added in a low voice.

“I can’t see the past and I can’t see the future – I see ghosts.  Most of the time, the ghost can barely string a simple sentence together, never mind start spouting facts about people they’ve never met.  Rosa is new.  She’s too in shock,” she explained, trying to keep her cool.

Cory nodded and thought about Charlie and the similarities to her that Don had told her about.  She got an idea and smiled.  “Taylor, let me,” she told her, placing her hand gently on her arm.  “Charlie, what is a ghost?”

“A by-product over an over-worked imagination,” Charlie replied.

“Okay, by definition, what is a ghost?” Cory asked again, her tone remaining patient.

It was his brother who answered.  “A paranormal phenomenon.”

Taylor watched patiently, wondering where Cory was heading with this.

“And, by definition, what is paranormal?”

“Something that is beyond the range of normal experience.”  This time it was David who responded.

“Or scientific explanation,” Cory agreed.  “So surely, by definition the paranormal does not conform to conventional expectations of the natural?  Therefore, a phenomenon cannot be confirmed as paranormal using the scientific method because, if it was, it would no longer fit the definition,” Cory asked, looking at Charlie.

Cory watched as Taylor blinked at her question.  She glanced around the room.  Flack look puzzled, as did Colby, but the other occupants of the small briefing room seemed to understand what she was saying.

There was a large silence that seemed to fill the room as everyone waited to see what Charlie would say.  Finally he nodded at Cory.  “An interesting argument.  However, there is a test.”

“There’s a test to say if I actually see ghosts?” Taylor repeated, surprised.  “Really?”  She suddenly beamed.  “Please tell me it comes with a certificate or something, because passing it would make my life easier.”

Charlie frowned.  “You think you will pass?”

“I see ghosts,” Taylor told him, shooting him a look that said duh.  “Of course I will pass.  What does it involve…?” she trailed off.  Ignoring the detailed explanation that Charlie was giving her, she focused her attention on Rosa.  Her lips were moving.  “Shhh!” she hushed Charlie, stepping past him and over to where Rosa was standing.  Behind her, Charlie was beginning an outraged speech and Taylor turned back to him with a glare.  “Just be quiet a minute.”

“Ghost Town,” she finally heard Rosa whisper after Charlie had turned silent.

Taylor sighed.  “Really?” she asked, drawing a deep breath.  “Really?  We have one night to solve this, and you’re giving me that?”

Flack’s hand found her shoulder and she couldn’t help but duck away from it.  “Ghost Town,” she announced, trying to cover her movements.

“Ghost Town?” Charlie repeated, looking less than impressed.

Taylor nodded, moving away from Flack, trying to keep the action as casual as possible.  “Look, the clues I get – they’re not always easy to decipher.  Like this.  Just be glad it wasn’t a toothbrush – because I’ve had that before.”

“The ghost told you that?” he asked, still skeptical.

Taylor nodded, her face falling into her frown.  “Actually, that’s quite vocal.  Normally it’s ‘You have to stop him’, or something similar.  You’re lucky.”  She looked hopefully at the agents.  “So, does Ghost Town mean anything to you?”

“Isn’t it a film?” Colby shrugged.

“It’s a song by The Specials,” Don suggested.

Taylor sighed as the smug smile grew on Charlie’s face.  “There’s got to be something else to it,” she mumbled, reaching for her phone.  “If in doubt, Google it.”

“Ghost Town,” David spoke up.  “That’s another name for Oakland.”

Taylor’s head snapped up.  “Then we need to go to Oakland.”

“Because the shooter is there?” Don asked.

At the same time, Flack shook his head.  “You’re not going anywhere, Taylor.”

“But-” Taylor started to protest, but Cory cut her off.

“No,” Cory told her.  “You are not leaving this building under any circumstance unless it involves something that isn’t related to the shooting.  Let the guys with the guns go.”  She didn’t want another death on her hands.

“I have to go,” Taylor told her.  “It’s taken me months to be able to decipher the clues.  You guys won’t stand a chance.”

“I’ll go with them,” Flack sighed.

Taylor bit her lip, her gaze falling to the floor.  It was the perfect opportunity to avoid any conversation she wasn’t ready for, but, “What am I going to do?”

“Prove the existence of ghosts?” Charlie suggested, a slight hint of sarcasm to his tone.

Don cleared his throat.  “David, you follow up on the witness statements.  Cory, I would like you to work with Liz and see if we can work out what friends Ignacio has in LA – who would help him.”

“Um, who’s Ignacio?” Taylor asked.

“You’re the psychic,” Charlie muttered.

Taylor growled.  “I am not a psychic,” she told him.

“Ignacio is,” Cory frowned.  “Was Rosa’s boyfriend.  She gave financial information incriminating him in a drug bust seven years ago when she discovered she was pregnant.  She went into witness protection, moving to LA.  As soon as I heard Ignacio had broken his parole agreement I knew he had come here.  I wanted to warn her – get her moved.”

“She has a kid?” Taylor asked, eyes widening.  “What’s going to happen to him now?”

“DSS have him,” Liz told her with a sad smile.  “As far as we know he doesn’t have any family.”

Taylor slumped back against the table with a sigh.  “Oh.”

“We’re assuming that Rosa was the target,” Colby pointed out.  “It could be Cory.  It could have been anyone in that bar.”

Don nodded.  “Colby is right.  Charlie, can you work your magic and find out if bullet trajectories add up?”

Charlie shook his head.  “I am going to disprove the existence of ghosts, but,” he added quickly.  “I will give Amita a call and get her to run the equation.”

“Equation?” Flack asked, his forehead furrowing. 

“That’s my brother, mathematical genius,” Don grinned, slapping Flack on the back.  “Trust me, it’ll work.  You and me, we should head over to Oakland.”  He gave the team a nod.  As Cory disappeared with Liz behind David, he looked over at Taylor.  “Don’t worry, Colby and I will look after him.  You just let us know if your ghost gives us anything else to go on.”

“There are no such things as ghosts!” Charlie called after them, leaving him and Taylor alone in the briefing room.

Taylor settled into a chair, crossed her legs set her hands in her lap, and stared up at him.  “So, genius, what does this test involve, because I’m on a tight schedule.”

#

Cory walked back into the room with a smile on her face as she heard Taylor’s response to Charlie.  She couldn’t help but chuckling.  “Liz?  You got a desk that I can borrow?  I have a couple of contacts that I want to reach out to.  They may be able to give me more information on Ignacio.

Liz nodded as she settled down at her desk.  “Take Don’s.  David’s very weird about who touches his desk and I wouldn’t trust anything on Colby’s.  They tend to have prank wars every so often and it’s been a while since the last one.”

Cory nodded as she sat in Don’s chair, where even with her heels on, her feet barely touched the floor.  “I hate being short sometimes,” she muttered, but she knew better than to try and adjust the chair.  Instead, she picked up the desk phone and dialed a familiar number.

_“This is Ben.”_

“Hey, Big Ben.  It’s Cory.  What you up to?”

_“Hey, my future fourth ex-wife.  Not much.  Got divorced from number three, you wanna take me up on my offer?”_

Cory laughed.  Ben Anderson was the person in Dallas that she always went to whenever she needed information on anything.  It was like he knew everyone and everything that happened in Texas and he had never let her down.  He was also a shameless flirt and when you combined that with the fact that his family made their fortune in the cattle business led to his many trips down the aisle.  “Ben, I’ve told ya once, I’ll tell you again.  I don’t want to be someone’s fourth choice.  Besides, you know both sets of our parents would be altogether thrilled with the idea of merging the families.  Do you really want that?”

_“Nah,”_ he answered.  _“So, what can I do you for today?”_

“I need some information.  On Ignacio Perez.  He’s gone off the grid after the ADIC in New York let him out to get information from him.”

_“Oh, hell.  When will people learn that something like that never works out in the end!  You’ve got it, babe.  I’ll hit you back up once I learn anything and everything I can about Perez.  Hit me up when you’re back in the Big D.  There’s a new burger joint that you just have to try.”_

“I will.  Bye,” Cory responded before hanging up.  She took a second to log on to Don’s computer, really he never changed his password series, so it wasn’t hard for her to guess, and used it to pull up her email to send a couple more inquires out.  These contacts, she knew, would not talk to her on the phone, but were always happy to answer an encrypted email or two from her.

Finally, around midnight, she finally called it a night.  “I’ve got to get some sleep, Liz.  My eyes are starting to cross.  Meet you back here around eight?”

Liz shook her head.  “You have a deal.  I’ll bring the coffee and Danish that you like.”

“Okay.  Night,” Cory said as she turned to walk out of the room, stifling a yawn.

#

By three the next day, Cory was working on her fifth cup of coffee and still she hadn’t found anything.  She knew that her contacts would have to take time to investigate any possible connections to Ignacio, but she hated downtime.  Especially since she had so much on her mind.  It still hurt to think of James, but the hurt was somewhat lessoned by what Taylor had told her.  The fact that James was a ghost had not surprised her, since she had felt him around her consistently from the time he died.  Some days, the presence was comforting, usually when she’d had a bad day, but she still blamed herself for his death.

“Cory?” Liz asked her.  “Are you okay?”

Cory broke herself out of her thoughts and turned her dark-haired former colleague.  “Yeah, just tired.”

Liz raised an eyebrow.  “Don’t give me that, Cory.  I know you.  We worked together for too long to buy that.”

Cory sighed for settling back in her chair.  “I just got some unexpected news and it’s brought back a lot of memories.  Not particularly happy memories.”

“Does it have anything to do with Taylor?” Liz asked shrewdly.  “I seem to remember her from New York.”

“Yes and no.  Yes because it reminds me of why I left the Bureau, but no the memories are not of that.  They are of Dallas and how much my life has changed since then.”

Liz looked at her, putting the facts together.  “James,” she concluded with some sorrow.  When she had first gone to New York and was assigned to Cory’s team she was thrilled.  She knew that the woman had a hard reputation, but one night after a particularly hard arrest they had gotten drunk together and Cory had poured out the whole story of the man she loved and how he had died.  Her heart had clenched at the wretched way she had lost the love of her life and she knew that even now, Cory was not dealing with that loss.

“Yeah,” Cory returned.  “Taylor just finally managed to get it through to my head that I am not responsible for his death.   I just don’t know what to do.  I’ve always wanted to be a cop and not being one is hard.  I feel like I have no purpose in life.”

Liz settled back, setting her own cup of coffee aside.  “Why not apply somewhere else?  Surely any local P.D. would be ecstatic to have you.  You are a great cop, Cory,” she tried to reassure her.

“Yeah, with my record?  What happened in Dallas could have been a fluke, but I managed to have a gang member on my payroll in New York?  No one is going to ignore that,” Cory concluded somberly.

Liz sighed, she remembered how tough the New York office had been for her.  Everywhere there were pitfalls and she blamed it on the chauvinistic head agent of that field office.  He somehow believed that just because you were a woman, you were a lesser agent.  “Look, the New York office is just messed up.  You could always apply here.  I know that Don would be fortunate to have you.”

Cory smiled.  “Thanks for that, but I’m done with the Bureau,” she responded as she looked off into space.  “Maybe I can try to become a spook.”

Liz chuckled.  “Somehow, I cannot picture as part of the C.I.A., Cory.  But, if it’s what you want to do, then do it.”

Cory grinned back as her phone rang.  “Reid,” she answered automatically as she listened to the person on the other end of the line, a smile spreading across her face.  “Thanks, Ben.  I am forever in your debt.”

Liz looked at her expectantly.  “I take it we have news?”

Cory nodded.  “And a possible connection to L.A.  We should got let everyone else know.”

Liz stuck her head out of the room and called for the rest of the team to come in.  Don, Flack and Colby had returned to the office minutes ago.

“Ignacio had two cell mates during his stay in the Beaumont Correction Complex,” Cory quickly filled the room in.  “And both have connections in LA.”

“I’m going to need a vacation to recover from this vacation,” Flack groaned stretching out.  “Because I sense that these connections are not going to be nice and friendly, law-abiding citizens,” he muttered, addressing Liz.

Cory wet her lips, consciously ignoring the dig that Flack was making at her, and instead of responding with a similar level of maturity involving addressing Don instead, she looked him straight in his deep blue eyes and nodded.  “Your senses are spot on,” she told him.  “One is a member of the Aztec Knights, the other Blood Kings.”

“Charming,” Colby muttered.  “The Feudal system hits the gangs.”

Don, who was pacing at the head of the table, glanced over at Cory.  “Any clue as to which is likelier?”

“I think we might need to get the Charlie to have a look at this one,” Liz started, and trailed off at the loud voices echoing down the corridor.

“Will you relax?” came Taylor’s voice.  “I wasn’t peeking, I didn’t see what the odd little man was doing behind the screen – where the hell am I going? – and we can continue with this boring test after, however-”

“I’m going to have to change the items,” Charlie was saying.  “I can’t risk that you’ve seen them.  And how on earth are a couple of stick men going to find a shooter?  It was easier to see something in Picasso’s work.”

“I might not be an artist, but my sketches make more sense than the random letters and numbers on your notepad,” Taylor retorted.  She appeared in the doorway, her eyes rolling.  “Here you are,” she sighed, pushing the pad in Cory’s direction.

Cory looked down at the image in front of her, trying not to pull a face as she tried to work out what exactly it was.  “Thanks, Taylor, but um,” she tilted the notebook slightly.  “How are fourteen hills, a circus tent and a river going to help us?”

“Circus tent and a river?” Liz repeated, stretching over to examine the sketch.  “Looks like the pyramids and the Nile to me.”

“Really?” Colby asked, confused.  He was squinting at the drawing, his head cocked.  “I see a dead worm in a party hat.”

“A worm?” Taylor replied, snatching the paper back.  “It’s a snake, with a helmet thingy, and those hills are gravestones!” Taylor objected, pointing out the parts she was referring to, marginally offended at the fact no one could tell that.

“If you say so,” Charlie muttered, pulling a face at his brother.

“Okay, it’s a snake and some gravestones,” Don agreed, keeping his face neutral.  “The relevance is?”

Taylor rolled her eyes, placing the drawing on the table.  “That was the unpleasant image that just greeted me,” she told them.

“So now you’re having visions?” Charlie asked her, dryly.

“No, doofas,” Taylor groaned.  “It’s a tattoo, and unless Rosa has a mural on her back, my best guess is it is the shooter.”

“You know, I think that’s the first time I’ve heard Charlie be called a doofas,” Liz noted, sharing a grin with Colby.

“Really?” Taylor asked, her eyebrows arched in surprise.  “That surprises me.”  She pushed the drawing back in Cory’s direction.  “Imagine that as a tattoo on the back of a guy.”

“Really use your imagination,” Charlie added.

“I’m thinking gang tat.  Does it look familiar?” Taylor said as she ignored Charlie.

Cory stared at the paper, her brows burrowed in concentration.  Suddenly her eyes widened.  “Of course it does.  The snake is the marking of an Aztec Knight.  The tombstones represent the number people that he’s killed.  I can’t believe I didn’t see that.”

“I can,” Charlie assured her, patting her shoulder.  “It’s easy to confuse it with the work of a six year old.”

Taylor, showing her level of maturity, poked her tongue out at the curly haired man.  The she turned back to Cory.  “Do you think you can narrow it down?” she asked her.

Cory quickly nodded.  “I should be able to, thanks.  You can get back to your experiment now, if you want?”

Taylor glanced around and seeing a lack of anyone suggesting that she stay and help, she shrugged.  “Why not?  I’m sure I’ve got a bottle of nail polish in my purse somewhere.”  She turned on her heel, striding out the door with Charlie hurrying after her, crying it’s an experiment, not an afternoon in a day spa!

“You really think you can narrow that down to a person?” Colby asked, flicking the drawing he was now holding.  He turned it upside down, holding it away from him.  “I still think it looks like a dead worm.”

Cory just smirked.  “Don, can I borrow your computer?  I’ll need access to the FBI database.”

Don nodded, seeing the sparkle in her eye that brought back memories of when he first met her and nodded.  “Of course,” he said before quickly logging on to the computer.

Cory quickly sat down and began tapping into the computer.  Don looked over her shoulder as he tried to see what she was doing.  “I don’t recognize this,” he said lowly.

“You couldn’t.  I had one of my tech friends in the New York office create this for me.  It’s a direct link to a refreshable database that I spent most of my time at New York working on.”  She tapped a few more keys and chuckled as she saw the activity feed.

“What?”

“My tech left me an encoded message in here.  My former supervisor is not happy that I left before I signed off on the final version of this.  Since we worked on it in our spare time, this is not the property of the FBI, so he can’t access it without my permission.  I have a feeling that he threw a temper tantrum when he found out this resource is not available.  Good.  Give me a second.  It will take me a bit to download it here and update it to reflect for Los Angeles, not New York.”

Don nodded as she turned her attention back to the computer and once he saw the file transfer in progress he cleared his throat.  “So what exactly does this do?”

Cory sighed as she turned around to find the entire team looking at her.  “This version of it helps to identify all the hotspots of gang activity and identifies each gang by a color.  The stronger the color, the stronger the foothold that the gang has in that area.”

“Interesting,” Charlie said.  “What factors are you taking into consideration?”

“Right now, it’s tracking all crimes in a certain area.  When a person is arrested, when the information is uploaded into any police department’s system, it transfers that information to this database.  Based on the type of crime, it might gather more information.  I’ve ranked the crimes where we get the most information.  Murders, burglaries, home invasions and such get a higher score and the maximum amount of information is pulled.  Something like a mugging gets a lower score, since those are rarely gang related.”

Don looked at the look on interest in Charlie’s eyes.  “Charlie, you can talk with her after this case is over.”  He glanced over at Cory.  “He’s probably gonna want to help you out on this.”

“I’ll take all the help I can get.  I eventually want to get this rolled out to every law enforcement agency in the country and then possibly all the major cities in the world.  I think it could revolutionize how we track not only gangs, but the mob and eventually terrorist activities.”

“So, how is this going to help us now?” David asked.

“Now, I am going to find out the highest concentration of activity by the Aztec Knights.  It is more than likely, that if Ignacio met with them, then he would not do this in their main territory.  He’s going to want a secondary, neutral location.”  She shrugged.  “Ignacio was part of a larger drug smuggling operation.  They were using Texas to transfer drugs from South America throughout the US.  What do you know about the I35 Corridor?  And you can’t answer this Don.”

The other team members looked at each other and shrugged, so she quickly pulled up a map on the computer.  “Okay.  I35 is the third longest north-south freeway in the US.  It runs from the Mexican border to Minnesota.  The two other freeways that are longer are on the East Coast, so if you are smuggling drugs over the border, where do you think you’re going to go?  Try to make it over the water to Florida or sneak across the Mexican border.”

“So why Texas?  Why is that important?” Colby asked.

“Yeah, there is a lot of smuggling that comes across the California border, but trying to get those to the rest of the country takes some effort.  I35 is pretty much dead center of the country.  They can move the drugs through major east-west highways.  Saves time and time is money.”

“So why neutral ground?” Charlie asked.

“The gangs that control the drug trade in LA are very territorial and the appearance of a known drug runner from another gang, would be tense and tense is noticed.  We had a profile done for Ignacio, it basically comes down from a line from the movie _Speed._   Crazy, not stupid.  Even with an introduction from his cellmate, it would be a big risk for him to show up in Aztec Knight Territory.”

“So if I was going to get local muscle to help with a hit, then you meet them somewhere neutral, but why would the Knight’s work with him?” Don asked.

“If he offered to let them in on some of the drugs coming through Texas, it would be highly profitable.”  Cory smiled.  “So, to get back to my original point, we are looking for an Aztec Knight who has fourteen kills.  Someone that successful is going to be high up in the organization.  He’s an enforcer.”

“And the lower level guys protect the enforcers,” David said.

“Exactly.  My database should help pinpoint not only where Ignacio would have met his contact, but where the highest concentration of killings by the Aztecs should be.  We find that location and it should give us more information on finding out who the Aztecs are using as enforcers.  This guy is high level, probably an assassin.”  Cory looked over at Charlie.  “Then you can do your thing and hopefully narrow the suspects down to one.”

“That’s pretty bad-ass, Cor.  How’d you think of that?” Don asked.

“New York not only deals with gangs, but with the mob.  I kept running into trying to figure out where each gang or mob territory began and ended, but being from out of town, I didn’t have the intrinsic knowledge of the agents from the area.  I didn’t get a lot of help from the locals, so I thought of creating something to help me out.”

Don looked at her.  This wasn’t the first time that she had hinted out being the odd man out in New York and he wondered what exactly had happened in New York.  That combined with the looks of distrust that Flack kept sending her and the obvious dig he had made earlier, just made him want to find out everything that had changed the woman that he knew into this shell of her former self.  He sighed; this wasn’t the time to figure it out, he had a murderer to catch.  Thankfully, his computer beeped and Cory gestured for Charlie to come over.

“Here are the hotspots for the Aztec Knights, they are highlighted in purple.  We should start by pulling police records to find out exactly whom has been arrested there.”

“And then I can run a risk analysis to see who would be willing to talk to us, so we can find out who owned the car since it was missing the VIN and plates.”

“Exactly.  You do your thing, Charlie.  I’m actually starving since I haven’t eaten since breakfast.  Anyone recommend a good place to get a burger around here?”

Liz nodded.  “Yeah.  I can take you there.  It’s been just as long for me.”

#

Don watched as Cory and Liz walked out and Charlie left to go continue his experiment with Taylor.  He used the downtime to swallow a cup of coffee and then began to look over the database that Cory had downloaded, marveling at the clear picture of the gang activity in LA.  He knew that he wanted to share this with the LAPD.  Lieutenant Gary Walker came to mind and with a wry twist to his lips he wondered how Gary would take the technology.  He was as old school as they came, but every time he had worked with him, it had been mutually beneficial.  With that in mind, he picked up the phone and quickly dialed his number.

_“Walker.”_

“Hey Gary.  It’s Don Eppes.”

_“Eppes.  What can I do for you?”_

“Listen,” Don began as he settled back into his chair.  “I’m looking for a gang member, one of the Aztec Knights that is possibly involved in the shoot on the Walk of Fame yesterday.”

_“That’s not the Aztec territory.”_

“I know, but I’ve got some intel that they are involved.  A former FBI agent was on the scene, which is why my team picked it up instead of LAPD.”

_“Okay.  What’d ya have?”_

“He’s more than likely one of their assassins, has the snake with a helmet tattooed on his back, along with fourteen gravestones.  He might possibly drive a restored ’67 Impala.”

_“Well, that tattoo sounds like Antonio De La Cruz, but he doesn’t drive an Impala.  He’s the kinda guy that likes to lay low.   He’s always driven a generic sedan.  Guessin’ that it helps him stay in the background when he’s trying to kill someone.  No one has ever been able to ID him.  He switches cars every couple of years or so.  Last I knew, he was driving a Honda.”_

“Doesn’t mean that he didn’t borrow a car in order to make a statement,” Don replied.  “Can you send me everything you got on him?”

_“Sure thing.”_

“Oh, and one more thing, Gary.  I have a new database that I’d like you to take a look at and get your opinion on.  It was created by an agent in New York and I think it might be something that you would like to have.”

_“Oh yeah?  What’s it gonna cost me?”_

“Nothing.  It’s free.  I’m friends with the agent, well former agent, and I know that she wants to get this out there and tested in the real world.”

_“Sound good.  I’ll take a look when I can.”_

“Thanks, Gary.”  He hung the phone up and looked over to where Flack was sitting looking bored.  He made his way over to the detective and looked at him.  “So, what’s your deal with Cory?”

Flack looked up, confusion in his blue eyes.  “What?”

Don looked at him.  “I’ve seen the way you look at her like she kicked your puppy.  What’s the deal?”

Flack looked away.  “Let’s just say that I don’t like the stubborn pig-headed woman and leave it at that.”

“Look.  I’ve known Cory a long time.  I’ll admit she is stubborn, but I don’t get the hostility that you obviously feel towards her.”

“She’s the reason that Taylor almost died,” Flack finally growled.

Don grunted.  “I’m guessing that this had something to do with a case.  Look, you don’t have to tell me about it.  That’s your thing and something you need to look at, but I will tell you this.  Corinne Reid is one of the best agents that I ever worked with.  Her absolute need to be correct can be overbearing, but she strongly believes in justice.  That’s why she made a great agent.  She left no stone unturned and did everything in her power to make sure that all the variables were accounted for.  No matter what, she always did her best to minimize collateral damage.  So keep that in mind.”

Flack was saved from responding by the sound of the fax going off.  Don walked away to gather the papers before walking into the room to talk to David and Colby.

“Hey.  I have a name for you.  Antonio De La Cruz.  Here’s the file from the LAPD.”

David nodded his head.  “Good,” he said as he began to flip through the pages.  “Gangs are like families.  There is a reason that the Italians call the mob their family.  What I’m going to try to do is find out who the weak link in the family is.  Who has the most to gain for betraying the family?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.  There could be a number of reasons, but generally, gangs don’t turn on each other.”

“That’s generally.  But there have been numerous cases of the police getting informants.”

“Joe Valachi,” Flack said from behind Don.  “In 1963, he flipped on the Italian Mafia.  It’s widely believed that he wanted to avoid the death penalty.”

“Exactly.  If the reward is high enough, then anyone will turn,” Colby said excitedly.  “I’m running the risk analysis right now to find out who in the Aztec Knights would have the most to gain by giving us the information we need.”  He turned and began to type into the laptop by him, pulling up the information.  “And you want to talk to Hector Lopez.  And according to the file that you gave me, he is currently in lock-up with LAPD for a homicide.  And more importantly, he is known to drive the car that we found burnt out.”

Don nodded.  “Let’s go talk to him, then.”

#

The drive to the LAPD precinct was long, congested with rush hour traffic.  “So, what the deal with you and the absolutely stunning Cory Reid?” Colby asked.

“Met her on my first day at the Academy, then a couple of years later on a case.  Lead agent made the mistake of underestimating her and ended up with egg on his face.  After that, if we needed forensic accounting to help us out, I had to be the one to ask for her.  She was one of the best in the Dallas office.”  Don shrugged as he changed lanes.  “We became friends.  She’s good at what she does.  Hates shades of gray and has this belief that everything in the world is connected.”

“So, you and her…” Colby trailed off.

Don laughed.  “No.  Never.  She had someone.  I don’t know who it was, she played that close to the chest, but I could tell.”

“Why did she leave the FBI?” Colby asked.

“Don’t know for sure, but the politics in the New York office is…different,” he responded as he pulled into the parking lot.

“How different?” Colby asked as he climbed out of the SUV.

“As different as Charlie and I.”  Don shrugged as he walked towards the precinct. 

“As messed up as me playing a triple agent?”

Don chuckled as he pulled open the door and just raised an eyebrow when glanced back at Colby.

“Wow,” Colby drawled.

“Yeah,” Don said before turning his attention to the female officer manning the desk.  “Hey.  I’m Don Eppes with the FBI.  I called about talking to one of your prisoners.”

The dark-haired woman smiled.  “Of course, Agent Eppes.  Let me call Detective Manning and she’ll be right with you.”

They didn’t have to wait long before a black detective walked up to them.  “You with the FBI?”

“Yeah,” Don said as he held out his hand.  “Don Eppes.  This is Agent Colby Granger.”

“Nice to meet you.  I’m Alicia Manning.  What exactly does the FBI want with my prisoner?” she asked as she led them out of the reception area.

“Information on a member of the Knights.”

“He’s not one for talking,” Detective Manning said as she wove a path through the busy desks.

“All I need is a name,” Don said as they walked to a room.  He glanced in to see a heavily tattooed but young Hispanic man sitting in the room looking bored.  The detective nodded as he settled into the chair across from Lopez.  “Hector Lopez.  You were picked up for possession with the intent to sell.  Cocaine, good quality, probably out of Columbia.  What do you have to say for yourself?”

The young man sneered at him.  “Wasn’t mine.  Cops planted it on me.”

Colby chuckled in the background and Don nodded.  “You see, I just can’t see that.  The LAPD doesn’t work that way and I know for a fact that this shipment traces back to a different gang.  Now, were you doing some activity on the side that the Knights didn’t know about or was this a payoff for your help.”

“I’d go with payoff,” Colby said.  “For the use of his car in a drive by that left a woman dead.”

“Now why would he loan his car out?  I heard that it was a completely tricked out ’67 Impala.  Sweet ride like that?  Hard to replace, especially since it is now in the FBI impound after being burned out in Venice.”

Lopez’s head shot up at that, surprise shining clearly out of his eyes.

Don smiled, knowing that he had him where he wanted him.  “Didn’t know that, did you?  Best way to try and cover up the forensic evidence.  Now, I know that car was probably a work of art and something that you spent every spare minute on restoring and making your own.  It’s gotta hurt.  Maybe you tell me who is responsible for torching the car and we can work out a deal.”

“What kind of deal?”

“A chance in prison to make something yourself.  Work study program.  Get an education in mechanics so you can open your own shop.  Make your own money, not have to answer to anyone but yourself.  WITSEC once you get out.  How’s that sound?” Don said instantly.  He saw the light and hope shining in the young man’s eyes and he knew that he had him.  It only took a few seconds for him to begin talking.

#

Four hours later and they had Antonio De La Cruz in custody, however they had no evidence to tie him to the murder.  Cory thought about things as she watched Don interrogate the man to no avail.  Finally, she had in inspiration.  She tapped on the door and motioned for Don to come into the room where there was still a chilly air between her and Flack.  “I have an idea,” she said without preamble and only a small glance to Flack.

“I’m willing to listen,” Don responded. 

“Why don’t you see if Taylor can help?  She seems to have unnaturally good luck when it comes to finding evidence to put someone away.”

Flack glanced at the woman, surprise lighting up his face.  He had never expected to her the former FBI agent to admit to needing Taylor’s help.  When Don glanced at him, he shook his head.  “Sometimes the ghosts are forthcoming with evidence.  Usually is some random clue that only Taylor can understand.”

Don nodded.  “It’s worth a chance.”

He, Flack and Cory made their way to the room where Charlie was still conducting his experiment.  Cory watched as Taylor fell silent when they walked in.

“What’s the matter?” Taylor and Charlie asked in unison.

“We found the owner of the tattoo,” Don explained.

“Well that’s good news,” Taylor started.  She frowned.  “That’s not good news?”

Don sighed.  “We have no evidence to tie him to the shooting or the car.  David looked through the CCTV and the only thing we can confirm is that the car drove up and down the street a couple of times before driving off – you can’t see the driver.”

“We were wondering if Rosa had offered something else to you?” Flack asked her.

“Don’t you think I would have been down with it if she had?” Taylor snapped at him.  She blinked.  “Sorry.  No, she hasn’t.”  She got up off the chair and glared around the room.  “And I’ve had enough of this.  Rosa, get your ghostly ass here.”

“I thought they didn’t come when called,” Charlie asked, his tone once again dry.

“They don’t, but I have two fifteen year olds who are going to get me up at the crack of dawn tomorrow to go to Universal Studios.  She has two hours before I want to be in bed, so Rosa!”

Cory shivered a little as the temperature in the room dropped and her lips twitched at Taylor’s next statement.

“Do not make me find the janitor’s closet and borrow their vacuum cleaner.  Because I will,” Taylor said.  “Right, here’s the deal.  You’re dead.  We have the guy in custody, but no evidence.  You want him to walk, then you keep quiet,” she told the empty space in front of her.  After a few seconds, she turned to them.  “We are going on a walk,” Taylor told them, leading them to the stairs and down into the basement.

“You can’t go in there without clearance,” Don called after her as Taylor made to open a door.

“So give me clearance,” Taylor shrugged.  “I won’t touch anything.”

Don frowned, glancing at Flack.  “She won’t,” he agreed.  “She’s usually pretty good at that.” 

Don looked at Cory who nodded.  “And yet you use the word usually,” he muttered, stepping forward to punch in the six digit security code to the door.

The room seemed to contain evidence – close to them, what was left of the burn out car after the fire department had rescued it, busy being processed.

“You don’t even let me in here,” Charlie cried, appearing behind them.

Taylor ignored him, and the lab rats who had turned to stare at the arrivals.  Instead she edged towards the car.  Quickly, she scrapped her hair back into a ponytail and reached for a pair of gloves.

The lab rats, who had started protesting, fell silent at Don’s assurance that it was alright and Taylor wasn’t going to remove anything from the car.  Taylor opened the driver’s side door.  Silently, Taylor dropped to her knees, peering into the burnt out area.  “Gum,” she announced, her head popping back up.

A guy in overalls moved in, reaching under the pedal and pulled the offending item out.  “Gum,” he confirmed.

Charlie rolled his eyes.  “Oh, for goodness sake.  They would have found that eventually.  You can’t believe that the ghost told her that?” he asked his brother.

Don shrugged, staring at the gum.  “Regardless, she found it before they did.”

Cory giggled, before withdrawing out of the room.  She knew that the rest was just standard procedure.  Antonio De La Cruz would go to jail for Rosa’s murder and she wasn’t needed to secure the confession.  Instead, she chose to go outside, the stress of the last few days finally catching up to her.  She settled on the bench, looking up at the clouds that were visible in the dark.  She lost track of the time until a voice interrupted her.

“Is this seat taken?”

Cory looked over and gave Taylor a small smile.  “No.”

“Are you alright?” Taylor asked her, perching on the cool wooden bench.  “I dumped a lot on you yesterday.”

Cory slowly nodded.  “I will be.  Thank you.  It was a lot of things that I think I knew but I didn’t want to hear.  I’m glad you told me.”

“And what happens now?” Taylor asked her.  “You looking for a home here?”

Cory giggled a little.  “Me?  Live in the cereal state?”  At Taylor’s confused look, she explained, “It’s the land of fruits, nuts and flakes, but to be serious no,” Cory disagreed.  “This isn’t home.  I don’t know what comes next, but I really am done with the FBI.  I think I might head back to my parents for a while.  I think I need to see Michael.”

“After that?” Taylor pressed.

Cory shrugged, smiling.  “Who knows?  But I’m sure I’ll run into you again.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” Taylor agreed, looking back at Flack.  “I should go.  Take care, Corinne Reid.”

“You too, Taylor Turner.  Don’t give Flack too much of a hard time.  He really loves you.”

Taylor just shook her head as she walked away, but Cory sighed, looking up once again at the clouds and wondering what exactly the future held in store for her.

 

 


End file.
